7

Chapter 7: Getting a Familiar

Just as Keijutsu was walking into the Council room to get more fliers, Sona saw him arrive and said "Kei-san, your timing is perfect."

He blinked. "Um, it is? What did I show up in time for?" he asked. Looking around, he could see that the rest of Student Council was in attendance as well. "Did something happen?"

Saji shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, man. I was just called here without being told what's going on," he said.

Tomoe giggled and said "Well, you're not in trouble, if that's what you're wondering. You two are going to get your own familiars!"

Keijutsu's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? You're letting me get a familiar now?" he asked.

Sona nodded. "Yes, I am. Saji was supposed to get his familiar last month, but Rias and her peerage beat us to the punch. And I believe you're done well enough handing out fliers that you deserve the chance to get one as well," she explained.

"Alright!" Saji yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Momo and Ruruko giggled at the action while the others smiled. "So, does the mean we're going now? Since it's a full moon and whatnot?"

Keijutsu raised an eyebrow. "A full moon? What does that have to do with?" he asked.

Tsubaki explained "The familiar realm is a place that can only be accessed from the outside during the night of the full moon, and even then only by one peerage at a time. At this moment, there are no other devils looking to gain familiars, so this is most opportune time for you both to do it."

"I see," he said, before smiling. "Well, in that case, let's get this done. What do we have to do to get to this familiar realm?"

Sona nodded to Reya and Momo, who stood back to back and conjured a large magic circle, large enough to transport the entire peerage. "This magic circle will take us there. Everyone, step inside," she ordered.

The rest of the Student Council did as she said, and stepped into the circle. Once everyone was in, it flashed brightly and everything went white. Like the last time, Keijutsu could feel that same sensation of being weightless and rushing forward simultaneously, only this time it was much more pronounced. When the spell finished and the light faded away, he looked around to see where they were.

It appeared as if they were in the middle of a large forest. However, unlike a regular forest, the trees were mostly devoid of leaves but almost covered the sky with how many branches there were. What of the sky he could see showed that it was a deep red, with its clouds only a lighter shade of red. Perhaps because of that, the ground beneath them also had a reddish hue, though what knowledge of geology Keijutsu had also told it could have just been red clay.

The entire forest itself also seemed to give off an almost menacing feel, fitting to being the home of familiars for Devils.

"So, this is the place? How do we look for familiars? Just search?" he asked.

Sona adjusted her glasses. "Well, first off, we need to find-" she began, before they heard a voice cut them off.

"I'm the first person you need to go after. The one and only Familiar Master!" the voice yelled.

Keijutsu blinked. Did that voice just make a rhyme? Looking up towards its source, he saw a thin yet muscled man with red hair under a black baseball cap he had on backwards. He was wearing a sleeveless white shirt and black shorts, with a jacket tied around his waist and a large backpack on his back. The fingerless gloves completed the 'hiking traveler' look given off, along with the cocky grin.

Saji nearly jumped as foot in the air at the sudden shout, and pointed towards the newcomer. "Who the hell is this guy?!" he yelled.

"He's the Familiar Master. He guides young devils in finding familiars and making sure they don't get lost here in the forest. His name is Zatouji," Tsubasa mentioned.

"That's exactly right, kiddies. And it looks like we have a pair of newbies!" Zatouji yelled, leaping down to land in front of them.

Keijutsu eyebrow twitched. Okay, that rhyming definitely had to be done on purpose. Such a belief was further confirmed when the Familiar Master said "Well, we're definitely losing any daylight. Follow me; I'll get you some familiars, alright."

With that, Zatouji turned around and began walking deeper into the forest, and the Student Council followed. As they were walking, they passed by a lake wear a massive Undine was just emerging from the water, showing off abs that could have made bodybuilders jealous. However, neither Keijutsu or Saji were interested.

As they were walking, Reya asked "So what kind of familiar are you two looking for, anyway?"

Both young men were silent for a moment, until Keijutsu shrugged. "To be honest, I have no idea. I suppose that I'll know when I see it," he said.

Saji said "Well, it'd be nice if a could have a Dragon Sprite like Asia got. But if that doesn't work, I still want one that can kick some ass!"

"Have a familiar ready for combat is smart. Finding one? Now that's the hard part," Zatouji remarked, nodding his head. "But if you're truly set on getting a Dragon to keep, I can guide you to where they sleep."

Saji looked at him. "Seriously? Alright, man!" he cheered, pumping his fist.

With that, the Familiar Master lead them though the forest. As they kept walking, they saw yet more types of familiars. There were wolves, bugs, imps, several types of birds, even a mass of moving green slime that they quickly avoided. The trees of the forest gradually gave way to rugged terrain, with small rock formations appearing here and there.

Eventually, they were led to a large cave, where Zatouji said "This is the cave of the Dragon familiars. They're inside, but so are the older Dragons, so keep aware."

"Having a Dragon-type familiar to go with your Absorption Line is be a wise choice, Saji. Let's go in," Sona said, but stopped when Zatouji held up his hand.

"Now hold on just a sec! This is a Dragon cave, let's not forget. Only the one seeking the familiar should go inside; too many people and we'll all get fried," he warned.

Ruruko hummed. "Well, I guess that makes sense. If this was my house, I'd be a lot madder if a whole group of people came walking in than just one person," she thought aloud.

Getting the idea, Saji looked towards the cave entrance. "So… I've got to go in alone then, huh?" he said. Suddenly, the entrance looked a lot more menacing than before, as if there was a giant Dragon inside just waiting to bite him in half. He could even see it too. It would be as large as house, covered in bloody scales, and shoot smoke of its nostrils with every breath while looking at him like he as an ant.

Saji shook his head to dispel the image. Even if that was what awaited him, he couldn't back out now! If he got a Dragon as his familiar, he'd be far better off in a fight! The image faded away to be replaced by another. It was the same giant dragon, but this time he was riding on its back, while Asia and Sona were sitting behind him.

'Oh, Saji-kun, I never realized how handsome you were!' Asia would say, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist while her long blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

Sona would add 'I agree. Now that you have a Dragon familiar, you're much more impressive than before.'

And to complete the picture, both Keijutsu and Issei would be cowering at his familiar's feet, white flags raised in surrender while forced to wear 'Saji is the Best' T-shirts. It was perfect.

Just that full picture alone was enough to set his courage afire, and Saji called "Oh, yeah! That's what's going to happen! I'm going to get this familiar, and then I'll be king of the world!" He looked back towards the cave and dashed right in, grinning like a madman.

Several members of the Council laughed at the display, while Zatouji shook his head in amusement. "I have no idea what went through that kid's head, but it sure got him to tread," he rhymed again.

They waited there in silence for a whole ten minutes, but by that time some of them were getting worried. "You know, maybe it would have been better if at least a small group went in there. Should we go in to check on him?" Momo asked, looking towards the cave entrance.

Tsubasa crossed her arms and said "I don't think that's such a good idea. He might be taking a while just because he has to convince the dragon to go with him. I don't think he would've ran into any trouble this early."

As if to contradict her, they heard a loud scream of "AAAAAHHHH!" echoing from inside the save, along with a roar the could only have come from a dragon.

"Saji!" Momo and Ruruko called, and began to rush into the cave. However, before they could take more than two steps, they were stepped by Zatouji grabbing the back of their uniforms.

"Letting you help him is something I can't condone. If he really wants a powerful familiar, this is a challenge he has to face alone," he said seriously.

The girls struggled to release his hold on them, but then Tsubaki laid a hand on their shoulders. "I want to help him too, but he's right. This is Saji's test, and we have no place in it, just like we'll have no place to interfere when Keijutsu finds his familiar," she said.

Although that answer satisfied neither girl, and their expressions showed as much, it did convince to not go rushing in. Zatouji let them go, and began to wait patiently with the rest of them. At least until Reya asked "By the way, where is Keijutsu-san?"

Sona's eyes widened and she looked around. Indeed, Keijutsu wasn't anywhere to be seen, as if he had just vanished. "What the-? Where did he go?!" she yelled.

Zatouji's also looked, and the color drained from his face. In a rare moment of non-rhyming, he pointed and said "Oh, this is bad! Look!" They did, and saw a set of footprints in the dirt leading further into the rocky terrain. Zatouji explained "These rocklands holds some of this realm's most dangerous fauna. That way leads to the nesting grounds of the Nine-Headed Hydra!"

If was possible, Sona's eyes went even wider, before they narrowed. "Then we have no time to waste. Tsubaki, Momo, Ruruko, you stay here and make sure that Saji makes it out of there, with a familiar or not. Tomoe, Tsubasa, Reya, you three come with me. We need to find Keijutsu before he gets himself killed," she ordered.

Her servants split up as ordered, as she looked at Zatouji. "Lead the way," she said.

As much as the image of him beating Issei and Keijutsu might have fired up Saji at the start, his bravado began to dwindle the farther he went into the cave. It began harder the see, since there was no light source inside. Eventually, he was forced to use what skill in magic he had to create a little orb of light that hovered over his palm, casting everything in a flickering purple glow.

After walking for about five minutes, he began to see marks against the sides of the cave, as if something sharp had been scrapped against them in several places. Sharp like a sword… or a set of claws. A snap underneath his foot got his attention, and Saji bent down to see what it was. His heart nearly fell into his stomach at the realization that it was a skull. A skull belong to what looked like a racoon, or some other animal.

"Well, at least I know what they eat know," he muttered to himself.

He kept going, trying to ignore the sound of more animal bones being broken under his feet as he walked. Gradually, the bones began intermixed with broken eggshells and piles of… droppings… as well as the scrapes along the walls becoming deeper and more frequent.

Finally, the cave opened up to a large cavern, one that had an opening near the top to let in some light from outside. Sitting directly in the center on the cave was a massive nest, and that looked like it had been disturbed recently.

Saji held his spell up higher and approached the nest. Inside of it, his eyes bulged at the sight of several young dragons. They were all deep purple in color, each of them looking like a typical Eastern Dragon, and they were all sleeping and curled up into little scaly balls. It was almost cute.

The light from his spell caused them to stir, and Saji quickly extinguished it. But it was too late. One dragon yawned, displaying multiple rows of tiny fangs, which in turn caused the other to wake up further. In a matter of seconds, he had several baby dragons staring at him, a new presence in their otherwise familiar habitat.

Saji chuckled nervously. "Hey there, little guys. How are you doing?" he asked.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, as they each began letting out a high-pitched wail, like baby calling for their mother. Their mother.

"Oh, crap! I'm sorry! I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry! Just stop shouting before-" he rambled, before he was cut off by a low, rumbling growl behind him.

Slowly, almost mechanically, he turned around. Standing right in front of him was a fully grown, purple-scaled Japanese Dragon, who was staring down at him with all the rage a parent and a beast together could muster.

Shit.

Keijutsu slowly wandered down the dirt road, letting his senses dictate where he was going. He had just been standing with Sona and the others when he felt something prick at edge of his consciousness. A pulse of energy, one that was faint, but noticeable to an Artificer like him. He decided to figure out where the strange energy was coming from, and set off.

The farther he walked into the valley, the more he could sense the energy source, but that wasn't the only thing he sensed. The life energies of several kinds of creatures, most of them filled with ill intent or some just moving around. If he had possessed the time, he would have loved to have explore further and takes notes on all the various creatures that were living here. But it would seem that would have to wait for another day.

Eventually, his wandering led him to a fork in the road, both paths looking nearly identical. Down one path, he could feel a very powerful source of malevolent energy, likely coming from some sort of ferocious beast. But he could also sense that the energy source he had detected was also down that route. Which meant that, if he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, he'd have to willingly put himself in danger.

After thinking about it for a moment, he shrugged. 'Well, it's not like this is the first time I've taken a risk just to learn something,' he thought. With that in mind, he went down the more dangerous path.

Not far behind him, Sona was using her connection to his Evil Piece to try and track his location. If he had been her Rook she could have just castled with him and they would switch places, but it was too late to change that. Out loud, she said "I just felt him change direction. He's going east now."

Zatouji's face went ever paler. "Then we'd better find him on the double. That way leads to even more trouble."

Tomoe raised an eyebrow. "More trouble than a Nine-Headed Hydra? What could possibly cause that?" she asked.

"Something that, instead of biting harder, can make decisions that are smarter," was his reply.

With Keijutsu, the rocky path eventually opened up into a wide field, one that was roughly circular in shape and filled with sand. Jagged spikes of stone hung from the sides of the walls, looking almost like spears in their sharpness. And in the center of the sand was the very item he had sensed.

It was, at first glance, a scarab beetle. However, once he came closer, he could see that it was a scarab made of several kinds of precious stones. The wings were made of emerald that shined in light, the limb and mandibles were formed from gold, and the eyes were rubies. The craftsmanship was of such detail and beauty that it temporarily took his breath away.

"Incredible…" he muttered, reaching for it. However, just before he could touch it, his instincts suddenly screamed at him. Acting faster than he thought he was able to, he leaped forwards without grabbing the scarab. That act saved him from having his head ripped from his shoulders, as a massive beast passed over him when he dived, landing where he had just been standing.

He landed on his stomach and scrambled to his feet. He turned around to get a look at his attacker, only for both it and the scarab to be gone.

"Looking for this?"

He looked up and nearly fainted at what he saw. Reclining on one of the outcroppings, scarab held beneath one paw, was a monster made of several parts. The main body was that of a massive golden-furred lion, but attached to it were a pair of wings with gray feathers. Furthermore, instead of a tail, there was a fully-grown Adder snake attached to it where the tail would be.

But it was the head that scared his most. The head was that of a young and beautiful woman, with a pale, heart shaped face, full red lips, long black hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. It didn't take a genius to recognize what kind of beast this was. He was staring at a real-life Sphinx.

The Sphinx smirked down at him and nodded towards the scarab she was holding. "I'll have you know that this is my scarab, and I am very partial to my belongings. You wouldn't have been trying to steal it, were you?" she asked.

Keijutsu gulped. From what he knew about Sphinxes, they were very tricky creatures. They could say one thing and mean something entirely different, and were completely savage in battle. The most famous ones were the Sphinx that encountered Oedipus in Greek mythology, as well as the 'Great' Sphinx that had a statue in Egypt.

Deciding it was best to answer her question before she decided to attack, he said "My apologies, ma'am. I came here looking for a source of magical energy, and came across that scarab. I had no idea that it was yours."

The Sphinx seemed to consider this, before shrugging. "I suppose I can believe that. However, if you can sense the energy of my scarab, then you can also sense me, and so you knew you were entering enemy territory," she pointed out. Then she grinned, showing off a set of very sharp teeth. "What explanation might you have for that?"

"Well, to be perfectly frank, I initially came to this realm in search of a familiar. I didn't enter your territory with the intention of making you my familiar, but I can't say I'm opposed to the idea," Keijutsu admitted.

"Neither would I, were I in your place. But I'm not in your place. Instead, I'm up here, having the advantage over you since you are the one who has slighted me. Now I just have to decide what do with you," she said, looking away from him and thinking.

Keijutsu's mind rushed as he tried to think of a way out of this. He could try to use his magic to summon some of his inventions, but he wasn't sure that would work since he was, technically speaking, in a different dimension than them. He knew that he wouldn't be able to match the Sphinx in physical strength either, and he wasn't sure how resistant her species was against magic or not. So, unless he was willing to risk a battle… he had one other solution.

Smiling up at her, he said "Well, how about we play a game of wits? You decide whatever kind of game, but if I win then you become my familiar."

The Sphinx raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And If I win? What happens to you then?" she asked.

Keijutsu shrugged in much the same manner she had. "Then I die. It's as simple as that."

He waited in silence as the Sphinx pondered over his suggestion. He knew that he was treading on dangerous grounds here. Almost every reading he had ever come across in regard to Sphinxes said that they were very intelligent, and that trying to beat one mentally was equal to writing one's own death warrant. But, well, if he did nothing than he was going to die anyway. So why not give it a shot?

He resisted the urge to sigh in relief when the Sphinx nodded. "Very well. Since you said that I can decide the game, I'll agree to your terms. And luckily for you, I already know what game I want to play," she told him.

Rising to her full height, she said "Taking a page from my ancestors, I'm going to give you a set of three riddles. If you answer all three of them correctly, then I will concede and become your familiar. But if you get even one of them wrong, I'll make you into my next meal."

Keijutsu bowed. "Consider it done. And before we start, just so you know, my name is Keijutsu Hatsume. What might your name be?"

"I'll tell you my name if you win. If you lose, well, there'll hardly be a need for you to know anything then," she said, and leaped down to land in front of him.

"Here is the first riddle: What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

Keijutsu blinked, before looking at her flatly. "Seriously? That may have been a new one for Oedipus, but it's been a long time since then. The answer is a person- the morning is when they are a baby walking on all fours, noon in the middle of their life, and evening is when they are older and walk with a third leg, a cane."

"Indeed; that was the easy one. Now for the second riddle: A man is looking at a photograph of someone. His friend asks who it is. The man replies, 'Brothers and sisters, I have none. But that man's father is my father's son'. Who is in the photograph?" the Sphinx questioned.

Keijutsu frowned and was silent, thinking. If he had no siblings, then there was no possibly of it being a brother. So, the man holding the picture was indeed his father's son. And if the man holding the picture was the father's son, and the father on the man in the picture was the son of his own father, then the man holding the picture was the father on the man in the picture. Therefore…

"The man in the picture is the son of the man holding the picture," he answered.

The Sphinx smiled. "Nicely done. And now, for the last riddle: What is the truly stupid question?"

Silence.

Keijutsu didn't say anything, trying to think of the answer. His mind immediately to the old adage that there was no such thing as a stupid question, which would mean that the riddle itself was a trick question. But he knew that wasn't true, as there in fact were questions that would be stupid to ask. Questions that you already had the answer to, for instance, or ones that could be answered with little research in less than a minute of time.

However, he suspected that answer wasn't correct either, as that would imply that there were multiple stupid questions, and the riddle asked for only one stupid question. Maybe it was only looking for one type of question, instead of one question in particular. But if so, then what type of question was it? And what was defined as stupid could be subjective, lending another layer of difficulty to the riddle.

The Sphinx's smile grew. "Having trouble answering? Such a shame; I thought you might be one who could actually answer my last riddle." She sighed. "Well, it was fun while it lasted." And with that, she abruptly leapt at him, claws extended.

Keijutsu cried out in surprise and rolled to the side, avoiding the claws. However, he had failed to account for the tail-snake, and it lunged at him before sinking its fangs into his arm. Immediately, he cried out as intense pain Shot through his arm, not just from the bite itself, but from the snake's venom. He channeled a current of electricity through his arm and into the snake, causing it to spam and let him go.

He moved back and looked down at his arm. The pain was the only immediate symptom, it seemed, but there might be other systems that appeared if he didn't recieve treatment. As it was, the Sphinx whirled around and licked her lips. "I tell you, it's been a while since I've gotten to eat a Devil, so this should be an exquisite experience," she said.

"This is hardly fair. You barely gave me any time to think of an answer!" he protested.

Her smile faded. "If you were as smart as you boasted, you would have been able to answer with what little time I gave you. But you didn't and hence you have failed," she declared, before leaping at him again. Rather than roll to the side and get bit again, he instead leaped backwards, using a short burst of magic to increase the length of his jump.

But it seemed the Sphinx could adapt too, as she spread her wings and glided forward, claws raised high. He held up his arms and conjured a barrier, one that her claws struck sparks against. 'Well, at least she's not totally immune to magic,' he thought. Using what time he had, Keijutsu reached for his watch and tried to call forth any of his inventions. However, after a few seconds, he could sense no change, and cursed. Looks like he was on his own here.

Still, maybe if he found the answer before this Sphinx killed him, she'd relent and let him go. Come on, think! If there was such thing as a stupid question, and only one kind of it, what was the question?

It was at that moment that the Sphinx smashed through his barrier and tried to slice him into ribbons. He barely avoided it, but she still left her mark in the form of several slash marks along his chest. Not only that, but he felt a tingling sensation near his snake bite, and looked down. To his despair, the flesh around the bite was starting to swell, and he could feel himself becoming nauseous.

The Sphinx laughed. "Can you feel it? An adder's venom isn't the most potent of all snakes, but it has a variety of symptoms. Pain and swelling always happen, but if you have a bad reaction to the venom, you can experience nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, blindness… the list goes on. And of course, your increased blood flow is only causing the venom to spread faster."

Keijutsu gritted his teeth and tried to ignore her taunting as he tried to come up with an answer. But it seemed she wasn't having any of that, as she charged straight at him. She tried to bite into his neck but he jumped straight upwards, landing on one of the rock outcroppings. The Sphinx spread her wings and jumped after him, but he slammed his fist into the ground and released a wave of compressed of sound.

The wave hit the Sphinx's ears and she shrieked in pain, falling back to ground. Keijutsu panted as he was given another reprieve, even if his own spell had left his ears ringing. 'Keep thinking. Every question is asked because someone wants to know something. There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn something, which is why there's a belief in a lack of stupid questions. So what kind of question would you ask, seeking to gain knowledge, that is just plain stupid?' he thought.

From beneath, the outcropping shattered as the Sphinx plowed right through it, screaming blood murder. She grabbed his by shoulders, adding new cuts to his growing collections, and threw him towards the ground. He landed on his back and smacked his head against the sand. Above him, he could see her glide towards him, ready for the kill. He tried to raise another barrier, but a sudden bout of lightheadedness left him unable to conjure it in time.

The Sphinx landed right on top of him, and she grinned down at him. "This is the end. Goodbye," he said, and raised her paw one more time. As if in slow motion, Keijutsu could see each claw extend and the killing blow come down. He tried one last time to think of answer, and it was at that instant that he finally saw it.

"The one that has no intention!" he yelled.

The claws stopped a centimeter away from his face, so close he could see each individual hair making up her fur. Slowly, she lowered her pawn and stared down at him. "Go on, she said.

Keijutsu sighed in relief. "Every question should be asked because you want an answer. Whether to increase your knowledge, to confirm something you already believe in, etc. But if you ask a question without intending to get an answer, then you have wasted energy on a pointless endeavor. Spending energy just for the sake of spending it—that is true stupidity, for even not asking a question can be smart if you already know the answer and are sure of it. So, to answer your riddle, the truly stupid question is the one that you ask without intending to get an answer," he explained.

For a moment, there was more silence, and he feared he had actually gotten it wrong. But then he could see the Sphinx begin shaking. That shaking turned into chuckles, and then laughter. "Hehe… Haha… Hahahah ha!" she cackled. She moved back, releasing him, and sat back on her haunches.

As he began to stand up, she said "Congratulations, Keijutsu Hatsume. Every person who I've asked that question, be they Devil, Familiar, even other Sphinxes, always answered it wrong. But you alone have given me the right answer. And for that, I concede defeat."

Keijutsu couldn't keep himself from smiling as well. "So, does that mean you'll become my familiar? Having a being as smart as you would be a great boon to me," he said.

"I suppose I did agree to that, didn't I?" she asked rhetorically. Looking around, she sighed. "I'd grown accustomed to this little habitat, and I admit to being sad to leave it. But I suspect that you'll make my life far more interesting than it would have been had I stayed. So yes, I will become your familiar."

Nodding, Keijutsu spread his arms and fought back another wave of nausea. A pair of grey concentric circles tinged with blue appeared around the Sphinx, with lines of arcane runes between the circles and the Sitri crest in the center. This was his own form of the magic circle, and this was the one he'd use to make her his familiar.

"Then from this day forth, I will live a life as my servant, obeying my word and performing whatever task I assign you. You will forego your old life in favor of a new one as my familiar, to remain as such until one of our lives expires. Do you accept this pack?" he asked.

She nodded. "I accept it. And since this will be my new life, it's only fitting that my master knows my name. It's Fronea," she revealed.

''One with common sense'. How fitting,' he thought, before saying "Then, Fronea, I now declare you as may familiar." He brought his hands together in a clap, and the magic circle converged around her, issuing a flash of light before fading. Keijutsu smiled… before falling over as his sense of balance failed him. He could feel his head swimming, and it was suddenly much harder to see.

"Kei!" he heard a voice call, one that sounded like Sona. In fact, from what little he could see, it looked like a group of people had indeed just arrived, and one of them looked remarkably similar to his King. But before he could contemplate it much further, he felt himself beginning to slip away. 'What were those symptoms? Oh yeah. Pain, swelling, nausea, lightheadedness and, amongst others, loss of consciousness.'

That was when the world went black.